Kenya, Burundi earn slots as other East African countries miss out on shortlist

Aden Marwa officiating a match in the past. [Photo: Courtesy]

A Kenyan referee, Aden Range Marwa has defied all odds after he was shortlisted among other African match officials to officiate the matches in the 2018 World Cup games.

 The 41 year old is part of the 16-man list of a contingent of African match officials who will join hands with their counterparts to inject professionalism and discipline in one of world’s most popular sport.

This is after the FIFA Referees Committee drafted a list of 36 referees and 63 assistant referees, drawn from various countries to represent the 46 countries that will compete in the forthcoming World Cup.

 Marwa will work as an assistant referee in Russia. He and Burundian Birumushahu Jean-Claude are the only East African match officials that have been named in the list.  As revealed by the Africanews, the following is a list of 16 match officials that will take part in the world cup games.

The 6 African referees

Abid Charef Mehdi (Algeria)
Diedhiou Malang (Senegal)
Gassama Bakary Papa (Gambia)
Grisha Ghead (Egypt)
Sikazwe Janny (Zambia)
Tessema Weyesa Bamlak (Ethiopia)

The 10 African assistant-referees

Achik Redouane (Morocco)
Ahmed Waleed (Sudan)
Birumushahu Jean-Claude (Burundi)
Camara Djibril (Senegal)
Dos Santos Jerson Emiliano (Angola)
Etchiali Abdelhak (Algeria)
Hmila Anouar (Tunisia)
Range Marwa (Kenya)
Samba El Hadji Malick (Senegal)
Siwela Zakhele Thusi (South Africa)

Marwa has officiated various games such as Confederations Cup in Russia 2017, FIFA World Cup Under-17 in 2013 and 2011 and Club World Cup 2016 among many others.